The Dark Web: A Haven for Illegal Activities

The dark web is a part of the internet that is intentionally hidden and is inaccessible through standard web browsers. It is often associated with illegal activities, and for a good reason. The anonymity that the dark web provides has made it a breeding ground for criminal activities.

While not inherently illicit, the deep web requires specific access credentials or a direct link to access its content. Examples of deep web content include personal email accounts, university intranets, and corporate databases. Despite its size, the deep web is often misunderstood as synonymous with the dark web, but they are distinct from each other. The deep web refers to any web content that is not indexed – or pages that can’t be found with a search engine. Examples of the deep web include any websites that are behind a paywall or require log-in credentials. Most internet users access the deep web several times a day to perform common tasks, such as checking email, accessing a bank account or reviewing health or school records.

How To Access The Deep Web Using Tor

What is the Dark Web?

The dark web is a network of websites that are not indexed by search engines and can only be accessed using special software, such as the Tor browser. The Tor browser encrypts internet traffic and routes it through a series of servers, making it nearly impossible to trace the origin of the traffic. This anonymity has made the dark web a popular destination for individuals who want to engage in illegal activities without fear of being caught.

What’s more, URLs in the dark web are starkly different from regular web addresses. In fact, it can be argued that the closure of Silk Road and subsequent arrest and conviction of Ross Ulbricht, its founder, only heightened interest in darknets and their illegal wares. Sociologist Isak Ladegaard, who built an algorithm to monitor sales data on Silk Road-type marketplaces, declared that all the media coverage boosted people’s awareness of the existence of the dark web. Aranza Trevino is the Senior SEO Content Specialist at Keeper Security. She is an experienced cybersecurity trend and data analyst who continues to gain industry knowledge to educate readers through her blog efforts.

Dark Web Search Engine

Illegal Activities on the Dark Web

The dark web is home to a wide range of illegal activities, including the sale of drugs, weapons, and stolen data. Criminals use the dark web to sell these illegal goods and services to buyers who are looking for anonymity. The dark web is also used for money laundering, human trafficking, and other serious crimes.

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The Internet is sizable with millions of web pages, databases, and servers all run 24 hours a day. But the so-called “visible” Internet (aka surface web or open web) — sites that can be found using search engines like Google and Yahoo — is just the tip of the iceberg. Law enforcement agencies keep an ear to the ground on the dark web looking for stolen data from recent security breaches that might lead to a trail to the perpetrators. Many mainstream media organizations monitor whistleblower sites looking for news.

Drugs: The dark web is a popular destination for individuals who want to buy and sell illegal drugs. The anonymity of the dark web makes it easy for drug dealers to sell their products without fear of being caught. Buyers can purchase drugs using cryptocurrencies, which further adds to the anonymity of the transaction.

What Is Dark Web Monitoring?

In 2002, Tor, a private Internet browsing network, was finally released to the world. By creating an environment in which people could browse online freely and anonymously, Tor’s creators opened the door to the underbelly of the Internet. You won’t be able to search the dark web with a regular browser (such as Chrome or Firefox). Besides, your online activity on such browsers is visible to your ISP unless you connect to a VPN service. As such, you should exercise caution when accessing any unofficial dark websites. The dark web provides a space for people to access and share all sorts of illegal and explicit material without judgment or censorship.

Weapons: The dark web is also used for the sale of illegal weapons. These weapons can range from handguns to fully automatic rifles. The dark web provides a platform for individuals who want to buy and sell weapons without leaving a paper trail.

Stolen Data: The dark web is a popular destination for hackers who want to sell stolen data. This data can include credit card information, social security numbers, and other personal information. Once this data is sold on the dark web, it can be used for identity theft, fraud, and other criminal activities.

Some examples include human trafficking, drug trade, weapons dealing, and pornography, to name a few. When you purchase things online using cryptocurrency, third-parties can still link your transactions to your identity. The service scrambles your Bitcoin with that of other crypto users, affording you complete anonymity. SecureDrop is software platform that NGOs and media organizations can install to accept leaked information from whistleblowers safely. It also comes with a functionality that allows journalists to communicate with their source(s) in a private manner.

Conclusion

• The dark web can be a resource to help evaluate leads, corroborate or disprove information and track data leaks.
• Volunteers and developers maintain networks such as Tor by contributing to their operations and maintenance.
• As part of their research, the pair scraped Tor hidden services and analysed their content to build up a picture of what sort of services are hosted on the so-called dark web.
• ZDNET’s recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping.
• The dark web, also known as the “darknet”, is a portion of the internet that lies outside the boundaries of traditional search engines.
• The primary reason for the dark web’s existence is not so much for illegal activities (although there are quite a bit of illicit transactions that go on there), but for anonymity.

The dark web is a dangerous place that is often associated with illegal activities. The anonymity that the dark web provides has made it a breeding ground for criminal activities, including the sale of drugs, weapons, and stolen data. While there are legitimate uses for the dark web, it is important to be aware of the risks associated with this part of the internet. If you choose to explore the dark web, be sure to take precautions to protect yourself and your personal information.